


A Lifetime in Sixty Seconds

by Song_of_the_Era_17



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Blood, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-15 01:37:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2210826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Song_of_the_Era_17/pseuds/Song_of_the_Era_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's dead. There's nothing he can do about it. So if he's dead, why is Gray Fullbuster getting married, raising a family, living his life as if nothing happened? Spoilers up to the latest episode of the anime, and up to volume 338 of the manga.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Screaming His Name

            “Look out!”

            Juvia didn’t get the chance to turn at the sound of her beloved’s voice before Gray tackled both her and Meredy to the ground, just barely dodging the roar of the dragon hatchling. The three of them landed hard in the rubble, producing a grunts and yelps from all three of them.

            “Don’t lose your focus!” Lyon scolded, only half taking his attention off of the hatchling that he was battling. “This is a warzone!”

            Gray gingerly got to his feet, allowing the two girls beneath him to get up as well. Meredy stood up mumbling a half-baked apology, but Juvia continued to lie down on the ground, totally distracted by something that had just happened. “Gray-sama’s hand was on my butt…”

            Though he didn’t let it register on his face, Gray was surprised. _Wait, was it? Really should have noticed that._ He shook himself out of his thoughts. A few nights ago, Erza had told him that it was about time to give Juvia a straight answer about how he felt about her. He’d known for a long time how Juvia felt about him, but he hadn’t been ready to say it, thinking that he’d have much more time. In this draconic war that they were slowly losing, it was now or never.

            “Juvia.” He said, getting the girl’s attention. “Juvia, I need to tell you something.”

            The blunette’s jaw dropped, and her eyes locked into his. Those eyes that had him captivated since their adventure at the Tower of Heaven. _Keep your cool, Gray. You need to tell her._ Then her face lit up. “W-wha-what is it?!”

            “No…” he began, trying to ease into it. “It’s nothing important, but…”

            “It could be important to Juvia!” she interrupted, covering her mouth with her hands. _Oh God, she’s adorable._

            Lyon’s voice slashed through the moment like a blade. “Juvia!”

            The girl turned to see another hatchling preparing to roar. Gray saw it too, but unlike the rain wizard, he was able to react, shoving her to the ground. Not even a moment later, the roar pierced Gray’s chest, totally drilling through his body.

            The boy tasted blood in his mouth, and while only a moment ago his heart had been pounding, now he felt nothing. Time slowed enough for him to see the looks on his comrades’ faces—complete shock. Gray felt the pressure of a dozen more dragon roars pierce his body, yet he felt no physical pain. The emotional pain, on the other hand, was excruciating, especially as his eyes met Juvia’s, filling with tears.

            He tried to speak, to find one last ounce of strength to force out those three words that he’d been holding in for so long. “Heh…” _Well, that’s not right._

            His body began to fall backwards, no longer having the strength to stay upright. _Juvia, I—_

            Gray didn’t even get the chance to say the words in his head before one last roar punched through his skull, leaving his body to hit the ground with one final crash.

            Juvia watched in horror as the life was torn from the ice wizard, only having enough strength to scream his name, not hearing that last whisper of the boy’s soul.

            _I love you, Juvia._


	2. Zero Seconds

            He was falling. That much he could tell. But where was he? What happened? Then he felt something soft beneath him. A breeze washed over his body. _This…is this death?_ Gray Fullbuster opened his eyes to the light of the morning sun shining through the open window of his apartment. _I’m home?_ _Wasn’t I just in Crocus?_

            The boy sat up, and as the soft linen slipped off his skin, he noticed a little more pull than usual. He turned his head and noticed the familiar long blue hair. “Juvia?”

            The girl opened her eyes and smiled. “Mm, good morning, Gray-sama!” She sat up and stretched her arms over her head. “Sleep well?”

            “I, well, yeah,” Gray responded, scratching the back of his head. “I guess I did.” _How long has Juvia been sleeping in my bed?_ The blue-haired beauty leaned over and pressed her lips on his in the first kiss that he remembered them sharing. _In any case, it doesn’t feel wrong._ He smiled and kissed the girl back. _Not in the slightest._

            Juvia pulled away and flashed a warm smile. “Come on, Gray-sama! Get up! Juvia will make you breakfast!” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, smoothing out her nightie.

            The ice wizard rolled out of bed on the other side, standing up to follow her. “I’ll help you with that.”

            “Oh, Gray-sama, would you?” Juvia swayed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. “Juvia might just have to…” she stroked her hand down his bare chest, “…reward you later.” She looked up at him with a mischievous grin.

            Gray bent down and touched his forehead to hers. “Well, I’m eager to see what you’ve got in mind.” He placed a kiss on her temple. “But first, let’s make something to eat.”

            He stepped away, taking Juvia by the hand. He gave her a sideways look paired with a sideways smile. “Knowing you, I’m going to need my energy.”

            “Oh, Gray-sama, you know me too well!” And so with a quick kiss on the cheek, she dragged the ice mage through the door.

*******

            _Zero_ _Seconds_

            Meredy and Lyon averted their eyes from the broken form of their friend. Juvia, on the other hand, couldn’t bring herself to look away. This perforated body crumpled on the ground was the man she loved.

She had screamed herself hoarse. How could her beloved Gray-sama be gone? He was just about to tell her something. He said it wasn’t important, but Juvia hadn’t been so sure. It could’ve been the most important thing in the world.

            Could it have been a profession of love for her? Juvia didn’t know. But what did it matter, anyway? Gray Fullbuster was dead. And no matter how much time would pass, she would never, ever get over him. Until the end of time, Juvia Lockser would be in love with him.

            “Please come back to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the title of the work suggests, while all of this awesome stuff is happening to Gray, Juvia is in agony.


	3. Five Seconds

            Months had passed since Juvia moved into Gray’s apartment. In that amount of time, Gray had somehow managed to fall even more in love with the water mage, if that were even possible. The boy had learned that she acted extraordinarily physical towards him mostly because the other girls in the guild had told her that his unfortunate stripping habit meant that he liked it physical.

            “Seriously?” Gray cocked his head to the side. “That’s why they think I lose my clothes?”

            “W-well,” Juvia stuttered, shifting from left to right, “yes, that’s what they think.”

            Gray just stared for a moment, then starting laughing. When his laughter had died down, he looked the girl in the eyes. “I never did tell you why I lose my clothes more easily than everyone else, did I?’

            When Juvia shook her head, Gray moved over to the couch and sat down. He gestured over to her, and when she sat down next to him, he wrapped her up in his arms. For a while, he said nothing.

            “It’s a bit of a lingering habit from when I was training with Ur, the mage who taught me ice magic. Since we work with the cold, we have to not let it affect our bodies and concentration, so we trained with as little clothing as possible. Now, losing the clothes helps me focus, but it does get a little annoying when I lose them at random times.”

            “Juvia likes when you lose your clothes.”

            “Oh do you, now?” The blunette blushed furiously under Gray’s fierce gaze. Then the ice mage grinned playfully. “Well, lucky for you, I just so happen to _love_ focusing on you.”

            The girl sighed contentedly as Gray pulled her into his lap. She curled up with her arms around his neck and her head resting on his chest. Gray wrapped his arms around her waist, and that is how they stayed for the longest time.

            Just as the sun was beginning to set, Juvia finally broke the silence. “I love you,” she murmured.

            Gray placed a gentle kiss to her temple and breathed in the intoxicating scent of her hair. “I love you too, beautiful.”

            And so, they both drifted to sleep in each other’s arms.

*******

_Five Seconds_

            “G-Gray-sama?” Her mind was playing tricks on her. It just had to be. The ice mage was alive and fighting, picking off those stupid dragons one at a time, not lying broken on the concrete.

            In the background, she heard Lyon screaming. “Cheria! Where the hell are you! Please! We need your magic!” His screams turned to sobs as he continued on. “Gray is….”

            “Don’t say it.”

            Lyon turned and looked at Juvia in shock. “Juvia….”

            “He’s not dead. There is no way he can be dead! This is illusion magic, it has to be! Raven’s Tail must be in on this!”

            “THEY HIT HIS HEAD, JUVIA!” Lyon screamed, his voice breaking. He broke down, the tears flowing freely, now.

            Juvia swallowed the lump in her throat, but it came back instantly. _If this is illusion magic, Juvia will break it._

            And so, with her hands shaking, the water mage reached out towards the image of her broken ice wizard.


	4. Fifteen Seconds

            “Ice-Make: Crescent Blades!”

            “Water Slicer!”

            Dozens of dark guild members were struck by water and ice, sending them flying and knocking them unconscious. However, they were almost immediately replaced by twice as many.

            Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser stood back to back, panting hard, and covered in cuts and bruises. Their mission had been to defend a city from whatever had been looting them recently, which hadn’t seemed too difficult at first. But when they discovered that it was a very large dark guild, they started second-guessing. This definitely hadn’t been their first mission together, but this particular guild was giving them some trouble.

            “I suppose this is what we get for trying to take on an entire guild alone,” Gray grunted.

            “Juvia doesn’t know what you’re talking about, Gray-sama.” Gray could hear the grin in her voice, and couldn’t help but smile himself. “This is fun!”

            “If you say so, love,” he countered. “What do you say we finish this really soon? I’ve got a surprise for you when we get home, and the sooner we get there, the better!”

            “Oh, that would make Juvia very happy!”

            The two mages stretched their arms to the sides and laced their fingers together, never taking their eyes off of the enemies around them. Gray started concentrating, and he could feel the same from Juvia. Magic power surged through them, and when it started to peak, they shouted together. “Unison Raid!”

            The earth beneath them rumbled for a bit, making the dark mages surrounding them look around. Then geysers started bursting forth, engulfing them entirely. Then they all froze, quite literally as the water around them hardened around them, trapping them inside.

            Gray fell to the ground, gasping for air. Then he felt warm arms embrace him, and he didn’t resist as Juvia pulled his head into her lap. “Shh, it’s ok,” she whispered. “We did it.”

            Gray looked up at her and smiled. Then he reached up and brushed her cheek. “Together.”

            The girl smiled back, and leaned down to plant a kiss on his lips, and he eagerly returned it.

            Juvia pulled away. “So, what exactly is this surprise waiting for me back home?”

            Gray smiled even wider. “Why wait?” He sat up as best he could, then stood. “Now where’d my shirt go? Ah, doesn’t matter, so, uh…”

            The boy started fidgeting, and stuck his hand in his pocket. “We’ve… we’ve been together for three years, now, and you know that I love you. We live together, we work together, we play together. And that’s amazing, don’t get me wrong, it’s just… that isn’t enough for me anymore.”

            Juvia cocked her head to the side. “Gray-sama, what are you saying?” She stood up and took his hands. “Is Juvia not good enough?” Tears started coming to her eyes, but Gray wiped them away.

            “You’ve got it all wrong, Juvia,” Gray said, pressing his lips to her forehead. “You are more than enough. Which is why I need to ask you something.” And when he got down on one knee, Juvia pressed her hands over her mouth, but it did nothing to stop the tears that were coming.

            Gray finally pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing a diamond ring between his fingers. Instead of gold or silver, the band itself was made of the most durable, long-lasting ice that Gray could create. Though it wasn’t eternal ice, he had made sure that it would last for a hundred years or longer.

            “Juvia Lockser,” Gray took the ring and held it up, “will you marry me?”

            For a second, she just stood there with her hands covering her mouth. Then the water mage knelt down in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. So with tears running down her cheeks, but a smile wider than the ocean gracing her face, Juvia gave her beloved ice wizard a resounding:

“Yes!”

 

_Fifteen Seconds_

            When Juvia’s fingers brushed against cold flesh, it was if a dam had broken. Tears of fury, despair, and love poured down her cheeks as she cupped Gray’s hand between hers. The girl laughed bitterly. It had been a fool’s hope to say that Raven’s Tail was playing tricks on them.

            “Juvia!” The girl didn’t even turn when Lyon shouted at her. “Juvia, we have to go! It isn’t safe here! We’ve got to find somewhere more open!”

            “He’s right,” Meredy yelled. “There’s nothing more we can do here!”

            “I’m staying.”

            “What?!” Lyon screamed. “Are you insane?! These things will give you the same ending as Gray if you stay!”

            “I don’t care. Let them.”

            “Do you think so little of your life that you’ll just give up like this?!”

            “My life is _nothing_ without Gray-sama!” Juvia screamed, turning and glaring at Lyon in pure fury.

            “Screw that! We’re getting you out of here!” But just as Lyon took a step forward, he was blown backwards by sheer force of Juvia’s magical power when she screamed. “What the hell?! Juvia—“

            Meredy stretched her arm out to keep Lyon going further. When Lyon looked at her in desperation, she said simply, “Take that as a ‘no.’”

            The boy gritted his teeth, then looked back at the grieving water mage. “Juvia, please—“

            “No.”

**Author's Note:**

> This particular chapter is based on the latest episode of the anime, so everything that happens in here besides the thoughts of the characters definitely happened. Sorry guys. I'm going to keep going with this, though, so keep posted. You never know what'll happen next!  
> ~Derick


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